Who Runs This Vineyard? (10/18/2026)

Yesterday, in our parish, we celebrated the life of a remarkable woman. We stood with her family as they mourned, as they laughed, as they cried, as they hugged, as they sat in silence because there weren’t words. We served up a meal for everyone and made sure the serving line was fully stocked at all times. There was a wonderful array of homemade salads and desserts to compliment the ham sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, fresh fruit, and cowboy beans. And when someone stopped me and asked, “Who’s in charge?”, I pointed up. And he smiled.

The fruits of faith, hope and love, of life from the Father, through the Son, the Vine, and in the Spirit were so real in those moments. And I thought of Jesus’ teaching in John 15 – “I am the vine and my Father the vine grower…I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” 

Truth is, He is in charge. He runs the vineyard and what those present were receiving in the form of companionship, service in their hour of need, food for the journey, or just a chair to sit in and watch, those were all fruits of a community of Christ born in the Spirit. That’s what we do. That’s who we are. And in doing these things, God is honored, our brothers and sisters are served, and we feel blessed to be called upon to share the fruit of our faith. We know that the Father is the vineyard owner. We know that Christ is the vine. We are merely the branches, but we know that bearing fruit through our relationship matters to our LORD, to our sisters and brothers.

As we continue our journeys of faith, buoyed by hope in our LORD’s promises, and fueled by love, let us never forget Jesus’ message to us and what He calls us to be and do. The Father owns the vineyard; the Son in the vine; we are the branches. If we remain in Him, we will bear fruit that gives glory to our LORD and matters in the lives of our brothers and sisters.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well,